We love a faster pasta when it comes to weeknight satisfaction. This richly rewarding, quick-fix dish, complete with a crisp side salad, is layered with flavour from bacon, cherry tomatoes and red pesto and is on the table in 30 minutes or less. Hey, pesto!
Put a saucepan of salted water on to boil for the pasta. Finely chop bacon. Peel and thinly slice eschalot. Peel and finely chop garlic.
Cook pasta in a the saucepan of salted, boiling water for 9 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, reserving 80ml (⅓ cup) pasta cooking water. While the pasta is cooking, continue with step 3.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a frypan over medium heat. Add bacon, eschalot and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes or until bacon is caramelised and eschalot has softened.
Add cherry tomatoes to frypan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3–4 minutes or until tomatoes start to soften. Add the pesto and reserved pasta water and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until warmed through.
Rinse and roughly chop lettuce. In a bowl big enough to fit the salad, add Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss with lettuce.
Remove sauce from heat and stir through most of the parmesan, the pasta and rocket. Stir until rocket has wilted and warmed through. Divide pasta between bowls and sprinkle with the remaining parmesan. Serve with salad.